Members of the Warlocks Motorcycle Club, based in Hardyston, unload some of the toys, worth $10,000, that they donated to Toys for Tots. This is the third year that the group has raised funds for the project.
Santa waves to the crowd waiting for him Saturday, Dec. 9 at the Sparta Train Station. (Photos by Nancy Madacsi)
Donated toys are loaded aboard the train.
Children play catch with Newton High School’s robot, which was the most popular attraction at the event.
Sean Quinn of Byram sits in the Sparta Historical Society’s Ford Model T, which was part of the Touch-a-Truck display.
Michael Collette tries out the shovel of a front-end loader.
Carter Murphy, dressed as Spider-Man, sits in the Sparta Historical Society’s 1913 Ford Model T.
Layne Shaffer is getting ready to bowl.
Operation Toy Train arrives at the Sparta Train Station.
William Dermody stands in the Sparta Train Station, which his family restored. He said they were thrilled to host the Operation Toy Train event Saturday, Dec. 9 and hope to make it bigger and better each year.
Newton High School robotics team members Salvatore Serillo, Ariel Franzone, Rich Murray, Dawn Murray and Josh Murray with assistant coach Lisa Holder, coach Ciara Roman, and mentors Steve Fosozone and Edward Holder.
Sparta Ambulance Squad members, from left, Matthew Enriquez, Sarah Wedsbeck and Mairin Byrne.
Julia Volker of Unique Parties by Katie was dressed as Elsa, a character in the movie ‘Frozen.’
Firefighters, from left, are Lucienne Wolfson, Brian Pumo, Samir Saba and Howard Fisher.
Members of the Sussex County Railroad Club stand behind a model train display.
A special train carrying Santa stopped in Sparta on Saturday afternoon, Dec. 9.
The township was the next to the last stop that day for Operation Toy Train, which was collecting donated toys for the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Foundation benefiting underprivileged children.
The train started at 9 a.m. that morning in Rochelle Park and ended the day in Vernon.
John Sobotka, a train coordinator with the project, said Operation Toy Train was expected to collect 28,000 to 29,000 toys each weekend, Dec. 2-3 and Dec. 9-10.
This is the 15th holiday season in a row that the nonprofit organization has operated the special train.
Starting at 1 p.m., the owners of the Sparta Train Station organized a number of activities for residents, including a Touch a Truck, model train display, games, crafts, face painting, ice carving and robotics demonstrations.
